Floor and wall covering



April 19, 1932. Q A. HEPPES 1,854,512

FLOOR AND WALL COVERING Filed Feb. 6, 1931 Limmen/Zh.- ZZL /o 65 Wf/Mtice to Patented Apr. 19, 1932 I UNITED STATES 1. .L\.Ti;1-JT oFFicsfjOTTO A. HEPPES, 0F LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS,'ASSIGNOR TO THE tTILE TEXCOMPANY, OE CHICAGO HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS FLOORAND WALL OOVERING Application mea February e, 1931. v serial No. masas.

My invention relates to ioor and wall coverings, particularly thosecomposed of small units or tiles.

Heretofore it has been the common praclay the tile covering by applyingand securing in place the small tiles individually. In such practice itis necessary that the underlying and supporting floor be relativel leveland smooth; and this condition 1s obtained by applying a coat ofmagnesite or asphalt mastic or sheets of masomte over the under floor.Old and worn wooden and cement floors almost invariably require suchpreliminary treatment in order to render them sufficiently level andsmooth for the laying of a covering by the individual method heretoforein vogue. This prellminary treatment is objectionably messy and dirtyand adds very considerable to the expense. Furthermore the cost oflaying the covermg has been relatively high, particularly if 1t 1s to bedone-in vari-colored designs, because of the time and care required topick out and il arrange the individual tiles to produce the 25 desiredeects.

In my previously filed application, Serial No. 502,881, iiled December17, 1930, I disclosed a sectional covering wherein each sectionconsisted of a plurality of small tiles or units attached to a rigidbacking which would bridge and support the tiles over depressions in theunderlying floor. Such a rigid backed and inflexible sectionalizedcovering is particularly effective where the unevenness in 35 theunderlying floor is excessive. But Where the unevenness is less, thecovering of my present invention is often sufficiently effective and,from some standpoints, preferable to that set forth in my aforesaidapplication.

One of the objects of my present invention is to provide a sectionalizedfloor or wall covering which is particularly adapted for laying overslightly uneven and rough floors or walls.

Another object is to provide a readily flexble multi-unit coveringsection.

Another object is to provide a multi-unit f sectional floor coveringwhich is easy to apply, either for plain or design eects, which issusceptible of inexpensive manufacture and is durable.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings where- 1n: f

Fig. 1 is a top plan of four typical covering sections, the to or`exposed surface of the upper right unit being broken away at one cornerto show the exible backing;`

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1, showing the sectionsapplied to an uneven floor; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section of part of two adjacent units,showing the hinge or articulate action therebetween.

In general, my improved covering section comprises a backing piececomposed of a sheet of suitable flexible `waterproofed material and aseries of relativel rigid face units or tiles attached to the bac 'ngpiece to permit ready articulation between units. The covering is laidby applying the requisite number of these flexible multi-unit sectionsto the floor and anchoring them thereto in an appropriate manner, suchas by cementing. j

The backing piece 5 is a sheet of flexible material such as felt, strongpaper or other suitable fabric made waterproof by being impregnated byan appropriate 'waterprooing material, such as asphalt. Its size may besuch as to accommodate thenumber and size of face units or tiles 6 whichexperience dictates to be the most convenient for manufacture, storage,transportation and application.

This backing piece has a plurality of rela-y tively rigid face units orindividual tiles substantially covering one surface thereof.l Thesetiles may be made of a variety of materials and in various ways. Forexample, they may be of linoleum or ofasphalt-asbestos' mixtures. Thetiles are attachedtothe backing piece only on their back surfacesleaving' the vertical crevices between tiles entirely free. Theattachment may beteiected'by ank sov ing is flexible and the intcrsticesor joints between each tile and all adjacent tiles are open and free,each tile is, in effect, hinged to those adjacent and the multi-unitsection is readily flexible in spite of the fact that vthe tile unitsare individually relatively rigid. Such sections may be laid upon andcemented to quite rough or uneven floors without danger ofthe tilesbeing broken during application or any reasonable use. The backingreenforces and strengthens the tiles while the ability of the tilesslightly to tilt or hinge relative to each other permits them toaccommodate themselves or fit the underlying unevenness or roughness.

The size ofl the individual units or tiles may be varied as desired andthe number thereof affixed to a backing to form a covering section may,of course, be determined to suit the greatest number of conditions'ordinarily encountered in practice. The idea is to fabricate sections atthe factory which can be easily handled and which will cover to thegreatest advantage without requiring cutting on the job. The size of theindividual tiles or units should'be sufficiently small to i11- sure thatthe sections will conform to the underfloor roughness and unevennesswithout subjecting the tiles to undue strain and yet large enough toprevent their construction, handling and application to the backingpiece from unnecessary complication.

The tile units of a covering section may be all of the same color orthey may be arranged in patterns of various colors, the latter beingespecially effective in laying patterned fioor coverings. Such anarrangement simplifies and cheapens the proper production of desireddesigns on a floor because, on the job, it is possible to handlepreviously prepared assemblages of properly related vari-colored unitsrather than to select and place the small units individually.

Having thus described the nature and an embodiment of my invention, whatI claim and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is asfollows:

1. A sectionalized floor covering, a section of which comprises aflexible waterproof fabric backingpiece, and a. plurality of relativelyrigid tile units covering the backing plece and secured thereto only ontheir rear surfaces, the interstices between adjacent tile units beingopen and free so that the section is flexible as a whole and the backingpiece serving as a permanent support for the tiles vhereby they areattached to an underlying oor.

2. A sectionalized floor and wall covering, a section of which comprisesa flexible waterproof fabric backing piece adapted to lie against and bepermanently attached to an underlying support, and a plurality ofrelatively rigid tile. units permanently adhered to the backing piece,the interstices between adjacent units being open and free to permitarticulation therebetween by the bending of the backing piece whereby asection may accommodate itself to unevenness of the underlying support.

3. A sectionalized floor and wall coverin f, each section of whichcomprises a flexible waterproof fabric backing piece which forms apermanent means whereby the section may be attached to an underlyingfloor or wall, and a plurality of relatively rigid tile unitspermanently adhered on their back surfaces only to the backing pieceleaving the interstices between adjacent units free and open to permitarticulation therebetween by bending of the flexible backing piece sothat a section may accommodate itself to unevenness of underlying wallor floor.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this th day of January,1931.

OTTO A. HEPPES.

